Natza Week 2018
by FlakyBatu
Summary: My personal contributions to Natza Week 2018. It's a collection of Natsu x Erza One-Shots with the themes of each day. Hope you enjoy it.
1. Day 2: Wisdom

"I am starting to regret splitting up our team right about now"

An irritated red-haired knight stated as she was hiding in a dungeon-like tomb while observing her surroundings. Next to her was a man with pink spiky hairs and a scarf around his neck. Contrary to his teammate, however, he didn't seem to be the slightest bit concerned about the sheer mass of dark mages in their vicinity that were actively searching for them.

"Don't say that Erza. It's a rare time for us to spend some quality time clobbering bad guys. Just the two of us."

Natsu commented seemingly excited about their situation. The desire to just go out there and smack his foes together with Erza was basically written on his forehead.

"You always surprise me with your overly optimistic way of thinking in situations like this."

Erza sighed but she couldn't hide a small smile on her face when she got reminded of Natsu's simpleminded, yet adorable positivity and excitement even in situations like this once again.

"But still, if you had not ignored our plan and just charged in like that, we wouldn't be in this situation"

She was obviously troubled by the thought of having to yet again explain why they failed a mission for the most laughable reasons.

"You always worry too much Erza. All we have to do now is beat those dark mages and get the artifact that they stole. Easy peasy."

Typical Natsu plan right there. If it wasn't for the fact that they are trying to avoid getting their attention, Erza would have probably chopped his head by now.

Erza just pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed loudly.

"There are too many Natsu. They know this place better than we do. We couldn't possibly avoid at least some of them running off, alert everyone and run away with the one artifact that we are trying to secure"

The situation seemed dire. Even the experienced S-rank knight could not come up with a quick plan that allowed them to bypass the dark mages without them getting alerted first. Natsu seemed to think for a few seconds and then just smiled over at Erza

"Most of the time you are the one to take action and usually your last minute plans make sure we win the fight. But this one time, just follow my lead okay?"

Natsu confidently suggested. Erza was still skeptical though. What could Natsu come up with that she hadn't thought of? But they had to do something now, no matter what. They couldn't hide here much longer. Those mages would find them eventually anyway. To be honest, Natsu wasn't the most tactical fighters in the team. His general strategy was always to overpower his opponent and grow stronger on the battlefield itself. Perfecting that could, however, be considered a wisdom in itself.

"Alright, fine, but if we end up failing to get the artifact and fail this mission, you will have to explain everything to everyone."

"Sure will!"

There was still no trace of a plan to be seen though.

"And I will personally punish you for your reckless actions."

The emotionless, low-pitched voice and cold glare she threw upon Natsu made him instantly shiver in fear and crush his confidence for a second. He knew oh so well how Erza punishes him when he does something stupid. No matter how close the relationship grew in the past few years, that fear has never even faded the tiniest little bit. It was that attitude that kept him in check when he needed it most of the time though. But that also made Natsu trust Erza so much. She would always be honest and punish him when he was acting thoughtless but that also meant that she would openly compliment and reward him when he was doing good. She was wise enough to always see through his actions and judge them accordingly. Natsu could always trust Erza to be honest with him, no matter what. Even with her armor on, the cold iron wall that he felt between her and the rest of the world was nonexistent anymore. Just the pure Erza, no facade or anything like that. Around him at least. From outside it may look like an abusive relationship but it was the bond of true trust and companionship that allowed them to be so free around each other. Erza always showed Natsu how she truly felt about him, whether it be anger, pride, _or love_. A bond those two could not share with anyone else, even in Fairy Tail. Not to that extent. It had already grown beyond that.

Natsu took a deep breath to calm his fears and put on a toothy smile again.

"Fine, as long as you kiss the pain away afterward. But don't worry! This plan if fool-proof. Just follow my lead this time"

"Wha-… Okay fine. Just tell me what you have planned"

A small blush formed on Erza's cheeks because of Natsu's unusually bold first sentence. She just cast those thoughts aside for now and got ready to take action.

"This is a dungeon, right? In other words, we are underground"

"Yeah, so?"

Erza could still not understand what Natsu had in mind.

"You will see soon enough. Let's just finish them quick. I don't want the Ice-Princess to finish his part faster than we do"

The fact that he still thought about beating Gray should not be a surprise but Erza was truly fascinated by how Natsu just always wanted to beat him at everything. He sure had some silly ambitions. Seeing Natsu as his usual self even when they assumingly about to fail the mission was one of the traits of Natsu Erza loved about him.

"Ok! Let's do this!"

With that said, Natsu dashed out of their hiding spot with a tremendous battle cry that was amplified by the echoes in this dungeon.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

A massive fireball lit up the entire place. However, Natsu didn't aim it towards the dark mages but shot it on the roof above them instead. Neither the dark mages nor Erza had any idea what was happening but Natsu continued to shoot fireballs at certain places on the ceiling.

Soon after, those places crumbled and began to crash as the damaged ceiling gave in to gravity. Massive rocks and boulders fell down and formed massive walls of rocks.

Now Erza got what Natsu had in mind. She immediately requiped into the Heaven's Wheel armor and shot a large number of swords into the ceiling. Every place that got hit by swords or fire crashed down and formed a new wall.

"Now those punks can't run away and take the precious artifact away!"

Natsu exclaimed loudly, followed by a confident laugh, certain of his victory.

Every pathway way now blocked by boulders. There was nowhere for the enemy to run. A confined battle arena with no escape.

"It was unwise of you to make us your enemies. We will kick your butts in now. I'm all fired up!"

Erza simply nodded in agreement. Both of them, standing back to back now, dashed in opposing directions. Natsu and Erza were far beyond the capability of these dark mages. Each of them getting brutally taken out by firefists or steel weapons. Pretty sure that's the moment they all regretted their life decisions.

A short while later, all the rogue mages were laying on the floor unconscious. If it comes to magical power, those mages were no match for Erza-Natsu-Duo. Those two were far beyond their league.

"Ahaha see, it worked perfectly"

Natsu put his hands, puffed out his chest and celebrated loudly. With each laugh, small sparks mockingly flew out of his mouth.

"Honestly, I didn't expect you to come up with a plan like this, Natsu"

"You may be experienced in the art of battle. However, young Scarlet, when it comes to the Wisdom of Recklessness, you have still a lot to learn. Keep this lesson in mind"

The great and wise Natsu placed his fist on his palm and made an exaggerated bow, imitating that of a true master.

"They tell me, oh wise Natsu-dono~"

"?"

There was something off about Erza's strangely cheerful voice. It made Natsu feel chills down his spine. A knot formed in his throat that forced him to swallow in anxiety.

"How do you suggest we leave and find the artifact now after you blocked every path?~"

"?!"

… He didn't think about that.

A dangerous smile indeed. Combined with the shadow cast over Erza's eyes, Natsu could feel all of his previous pride and wisdom fade in an instant. Right about now, Natsu missed the beautiful and heartwarming smile she usually had when they were together. Her stern but loving attitude or even the possessive yet protective hug she always gave him when other girls tried to approach him was a more preferable choice.

"Ehh, you know… I didn't think that far ahead…"

A nervous smile masked the fear of the storm that was headed his way.

"A dragon once said 'A wise man never knows all, only fools know everything' "

A desperate try to avoid the unavoidable. He messed up.

"Shut up!"

She shouted angrily and chopped the top of his head with an armored hand. Natsu was on his knees, holding his head in pain.

Shortly after, however, Erza reached out her hand to Natsu. Her previous angry attitude seemed to have faded.

Erza sure did notice Natsu's genuine try to come up with a good plan this time. He may not be the wisest, but he doesn't need to be. Just being that adorable little dragon that would fight any opponent that threatened his family was enough for her. Still, Natsu giving his best not be completely simple-minded and trying to improve himself for her sake didn't go unnoticed. She was eternally grateful to have such a precious partner by her side. A partner, she couldn't imagine out of her life anymore. A dragon that she would keep close to herself forever.

"It wasn't the smartest plan you came up with, but I guess it did prevent them from getting away with the artifact. Now get up my dragon of wisdom"

A bit taunting but still mostly appreciating her cute little dragon.

"Once we clear this barricade of rubble and get what we came for, I will get a delicious cake. Your treat."

Natsu's eyes were sparkling again. His usual enthusiasm and excitement back to where it should be. He took her hand that she offered to help him back up on his feet. It may have been only a few seconds but Natsu did notice that she requipped the cold gauntlets away before she reached out to him. Even as a fire mage, the heat of holding her hand was not comparable to any fire he was able to create. He wanted to hold it forever and never let go. But for now, it was enough to be able to finish this simple mission with her.


	2. Day 3: Sunrise

"Where are we going, Natsu? We have been walking for an hour now and you still didn't tell me"

Erza stated while following Natsu. At first, she was curious about where Natsu was taking her but her curiosity slowly started to fade into annoyance.

"I told you, it's a surprise. Also, we are almost there now"

Erza didn't react to that at all because that's what Natsu's been saying for half an hour now. Natsu seemed very eager though. He had this massive grin on his face the whole time already. He didn't seem to be bothered by the gigantic backpack he has been carrying all the way up here. Erza offered to help him carry it but he instantly denied any offer she made. Just what was he up to? It's this early in the morning and Natsu dragged her out of bed already and tells her that they are going on a trip now. Erza was irritated at first and asked if it couldn't wait but Natsu left no room for negotiations.

They walked silently on that forest path that didn't seem to lead somewhere special. A few minutes later, Natsu jumped up.

"We're here"

He stated and immediately run towards some bushes and branches that were in the way. The path seemed to end here. There was nothing in sight but Natsu was hyped and pushed through every obstacle.

"Come on, Erza"

Really? He wanted her to follow there. She didn't openly question it any further. If Natsu was that stubborn to take her here, then it must be a special place. So, she followed. The leaves and branches that got in her way started to annoy her as they scratched her and dirtied her outfit along the way. 'This better be worth it' she thought to herself.

"Tadaa~!"

Natsu presented. He stretched out both of his arms in an exaggerated way and smiled widely.

"A field…"

Yes, a field. A field on a hill. That's it. There weren't even that many flowers or beautiful trees that would add to the scenery. Instead, it was just a wide field of mostly grass.

"All this way, to show me a field?"

Erza asked sarcastically while hoping there'd be a catch to it that she didn't realize yet. Not even the view was that spectacular, just two strangely formed mountains and a forest below them. Was that his whole plan?

"Yes, awesome right?"

Natsu still smiled excitedly. He put down his oversized backpacks and started searching for something in them. An "Aha~" later, he pulled a big blanket out of one of the bags and spread it on top the grass. He took his backpacks next to him and sat down. He looked over his shoulder to look at Erza and tapped the place next to him, signaling her to sit down to him.

"Really?"

"Yes, come on"

Natsu didn't even show the least bit of doubt or boredom whereas Erza was just massively underwhelmed. She was tired because she got home late last night from a long, demanding mission. She had to go alone because she was specifically requested by the mayor of a distant city. So, waking up early, walking for over an hour and then be presented with a plain field wasn't really how she planned on spending her day off after that.

But Natsu seemed so happy and excited about it that she just couldn't refuse. It was a rare occasion for Natsu to be nearly begging to spend some time with her.

A small sigh later, she sat down next to him and rested her head on her hand.

"You had no breakfast, amirite?"

"No… Because a certain someone woke me up early and dragged me out here"

Sarcasm again. Erza tended to do that when she was tired or slightly annoyed, or both like in this case. Natsu didn't seem to be bothered at all though. He just turned to his bags and pulled out a massive basket out of it.

"Here"

Natsu placed that basket right in front of them and opened it, pulling out all sorts of food. It didn't look like it was made by a professional though. Some of the food looked sloppy or sometimes misformed.

Erza's eyes sparkled by the sight of food. She was starving!

"Did you make all this?"

Natsu blushed, slowly scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.

"Hehe.. yeah. I thought about asking Mira to make it or buy something but that didn't feel right. I wanted to make it myself for you. But it probably didn't turn out that great, I'm sorry about that. I was kinda lonely when you were gone the last few weeks and I heard you like picknicks so I thought it was a good idea."

So he did feel lonely without her around. Maybe he was getting bored but then he would've just started a fight with Gray or whatever. It was truly rare for Natsu to openly admit his feelings like that.

But now that he mentioned it, Erza did notice the bandages on his fingers and the small bags under his eyes. He must have really worked hard to make it good. Did he try to make food all night long?

Erza couldn't help but smile at Natsu's effort. The sheer fact that he tried his best just to organize a picknick with her. Not enjoying this precious moment with Natsu would be an insult to herself. His thoughtfulness was too sweet.

She grabbed one of the sandwiches and took a bite out of it. Natsu stared at her in anticipation. Like a child waiting for the approval of his partner.

"Mhm. It's good. Thank you, Natsu"

Natsu's heart skipped a beat by that simple compliment. Yes! All his effort was already worth it. Having this genuine smile of hers that was shining like the sun between the cloud after rainy weeks during her absence.

Natsu immediately took out more baskets and opened them in front of her. Also, he secretly took out a small black box and hid it in his pocket. Erza only got a small glimpse at it, but the thing inside was shining brightly. What could that be?

"Here you have to try this. It' a bum with powdered sugar on it and filled to the core with strawberry jam"

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Natsu offering her even more food to try. All those baskets were filled with it. They sure did look amateurishly made but delicious nonetheless.

It was delicious. After a bite, the jam slowly spread inside her mouth. The sweetness was balanced very well.

"Mhmm. It's delicious"

"Yes!"

After that Natsu happily presented lots and lots of the food he made. Some weren't as good but some were extraordinarily delicious. Natsu seemed like he put most of his effort into the sweets. Especially the ones that had strawberries. It wouldn't be Erza's first choice to eat so many sweets next to regular food during breakfast but because Natsu went out of his way to prepare everything for her, she would gladly accept it. The effort could be felt in every bite and Erza loved it. The taste was made that much better with the love of Natsu in each bite.

"Thank you, Natsu. I have to admit, I had my doubts at first, but this is a really pleasant surprise"

She confessed. It would be a lie to say that at first she wasn't very impressed but this turned out to be a good way to spend her day. Maybe it would have been better if it wasn't this early though.

"Glad you like it but don't thank me yet. That wasn't the main event"

"Huh?"

The picknick was not the whole plan? Then what was it? Was there still something left in the bags? Didn't look like it. He already took out all of the food and the baskets in it. They were empty.

She realized something though. Natsu seemed to be getting more nervous by every passing minute. He was still smiling brightly and ate like a true dragon but his legs seemed restless and he was spacing out sometimes.

"Do you think I would let you walk all this way for a picknick? There are way better places for it. Like the beautiful parks around Magnolia for example."

Indeed, that's true. If picknick was the whole plan then there certainly are more suitable places for this. The view wasn't something to brag about.

"What is it the-"

"Just look"

Natsu just cut her off and pointed towards the two strangely shaped mountains. And as if the sun waited for Natsu's signal, it started to rise between those mountains. The light slowly illuminated the place as rays of sunlight peaked through the mountains. It was a beautiful Sunrise but that wasn't it already. Erza looked over at Natsu but he just looked straight ahead with a smile on his face.

"This is it now, Erza"

Such a soft voice that Erza wasn't used to. It came by surprise. The happiness on his face still caught her eyes but she turned around again to look at the sunrise.

Now she realized it. It was breathtaking. The sun that had now positioned itself between those mountains. Now she understood what he wanted to show her. With the strange shape of the mountains and shined its light right through the gap. The sun seemed to have taken the shape of a massive heart with the mountains being the edge of it. Perfectly shining through to form the massive ball of fire to the shape of a shining, never-fading heart. But now started to fly through the gaps, the silhouettes making it look like the heart itself was sparkling in the sky. It was the most beautiful sunrise Erza had ever seen. To say she was speechless would be an understatement. With a face that showed genuine fascination and her gaze locked onto the delicately gorgeous scenery, Natsu used the moment to slowly take her hand. Erza was surprised at first and looked over to him once again. She was met with a cheerful smile that rivaled the scenery ahead of them. Both of their cheeks taking a deep shade of pink as they looked each other into the eyes for what felt like an eternity. With the heartshaped sunrise in the background and the face of her handsome partner made this moment truly engrave itself on her heart. A memory she would never ever forget. Natsu felt the same, the silk-like scarlet hair that danced in the wind, and the smooth sensation of her hand on his. It was the perfect moment.

Natsu now took the small dark box out of his pocket and presented it to her with him being down on one of his knees. After opening it, rays of light were reflected by the small object in it. Even the sun that shined through the heart seemed to shine even brighter right now like the giant heart itself was giving its personal approval.

Marked by the sunrise, this was the dawn of the greatest step in their relationship.


	3. Day 4: Heart

Sparks of explosions danced in the air, war thunder echoed through the massive battlefield, and dust was the only thing left on the ground. What was once a beautiful city filled with eager people and colorful parks had been turned into a ruined ghost town, a no mans land. Dozens of battle cries were shouted and silenced just as fast. Fighting everywhere. Countless magical attacks were thrown at each other, whether it was elemental magic, creational magic, weapon magic or illusion magic. Every mage on the battlefield desperately bombarded the enemy with every skill they knew, no matter the cost. The battle order had long been lost, what was left was pure chaos. Panic and fear of death were grasping the hearts of the soldiers and mages on the battlefield right before they dropped like flies. Countless casualties with every passing minute that painted the black and grey battlefield in red.

Amongst this chaos were two mages, mages of Fairy Tail, the strongest guild around. However, their image, prestige or strength did not matter much here because not even them seemed to be able to shift the balance of powers to their favor.  
Those two mages were among the strongest in Fairy Tail, 'Titania' Erza Scarlet and 'Salamander' Natsu Dragneel who were fighting through masses of enemies. The battle had taken its toll on those two though. Scratches, burns, bruises and other severe wounds were the results of their desperate battle so far. Erza grip on her sword was shakey and her armor broken to pieces while Natsu's fires were getting smaller and his arms were getting limb.

"Hang in there Natsu! We have to find Gray, Lucy, and everyone else."

They have long been cut off from the rest of their team, not even knowing if they were still able to fight, or even alive for that matter. Usually, Natsu and Erza had deep trust in their teammates to make it through every emergency alive but the situation was as dire as it could possibly be. It'd be a lie to say that their death was completely impossible.

They didn't get any time to rest, their hearts beating faster than anytime before because of the adrenaline rush and the extremity of their situation. Hordes of enemies were attacking from all sides, their faces filled with as much despair as everyone else's on the battlefield.

" " AHHHHHH!" "

Erza and Natsu screamed out as they mustered their power reserves to fight them off. Blades and Fire making their way towards the enemy mages and soldiers, cutting through them seemingly easy but the truth was that they could not afford to release attacks like this for much longer. An end of this battle was not in sight so they had to get out of here. Even though the invasion technically failed the remaining Spriggans were pushing each and every remaining soldier to attack, sacrificing many lives on each side.

Heartless, with no empathy whatsoever they ordered for the complete destruction of the whole area.

Surviving this assault Erza and Natsu were rushing to help others get to safety and then evacuate themselves. Both of them were not as fast on their feet as before but Natsu had the most trouble moving on. Not many steps later, he fell down on one knee and tried to support himself on some rubble nearby.

"Natsu?! Are you alright?"

Erza had realized Natsu's critical condition a long time ago, but constant assault hindered them to get the rest they desperately needed. Ambush after ambush, attack after attack slowly but surely broke through the Dragon and Knight Duo of Fairy Tail's magical reserves.

"This is nothing but a scratch. Don't you worry about me"

Natsu tried to push himself up but his knees were too weak to support his entire body any longer. He tried to get on his feet by pulling himself up on the remaining of a street pole but even then he failed the get back up.

"The fight with Zeref and Acnologia was too much for you! I still haven't forgiven you that you just rushed in those battles alone with the intent of sacrificing your life. You have to live through this to receive your punishment!"

The words were tough but Erza's voice was filled with angst and despair. Even she wasn't sure if they had the strength to get out of here alive or not. They just needed to get away from here. Erza grabbed one of Natsu's arms and threw it over her shoulders to support Natsu. With Erza's help, they were able to move forward again. If they only had reinforcements. But there was close to no hope of that because the troops of the kingdom and the magic council were already diminished and the whereabouts of the other Fairy Tail members were currently unknown. Even if they knew where their fellow guildmates were, chances are that they had enough to deal with on their own. They had to do it alone, with only the two of them.

"Don't you give up on me here. You promised to marry me once all this is over"

"Haha… And I will make sure to do everything I can to keep that promise."

His voice was weak, lacking any fire or confidence. The fact that even Natsu was seeming to acknowledge his dire state was a dangerous sign. He was the one with near-unbreakable willpower and the strength to push through everything. At least, that's what everyone expects of him, an ideal. It wasn't too late however, right now they could still push through and get out of this mess. There is still hope! A hope that kept their hearts beating.

Erza and Natsu were rushing to get to safety but a few minutes later there was an explosion right in front of then that pushed both of them back, making them forcefully crash on their backs, pushing the air of their lungs. Another wave of mages showed themselves, ready to attack the fairies.

With yet another adrenaline rush rising their heartbeat, strengthening their muscles and numbing their pain to a certain extent, Natsu and Erza got back up and rushed in opposing directions to fight the enemies while trying to keep each other's back safe. There was no tactic in their moves anymore. Only direct attacks, brute force to break through them.

Natsu was getting slow on his feet and his reactions were lacking severely, making him take hit after hit. Natsu tried to fight them off with ranged fire attacks that barely took out most of his foes.

Erza requipped basic swords as she didn't have enough strength to carry her massive weapons and armors and slashed at the enemies with no restraint. She stopped holding herself back a long time ago. There was no place for restrictions if they wanted to get out of here alive.

One, who seemed to be the commander of this division, used Erza's distraction to release his most powerful attack cowardly from his back. A massive magical beam of darkness. Erza noticed the attack was too late, no chance of dodging it. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her to desperately block a bit of the damage. She waited for the attack to hit… but it didn't.

A truly horrific scream of pain and agony cut through the ears of everyone around instead. Erza opened her eyes and looked ahead to see Natsu's figure at the center of a small crater. Smoke looked like it was coming out of his body but the worst part was a massive black and red wound on his chest, slightly to the left. Right where his heart was located. A massive amount of blood streamed out of the hole in his chest.

"NATSU!"

Erza forgot everything around her and rushed to Natsu's side. Right when his body was about to drop, Erza caught him in her arms. Her entire body was shaking from the shock of her closest guildmate, her one-and-everything, fatally wounded.

"The most important thing in a fight… is to keep you back safe… You should know that by now, Erza… ahaha"

Barely having the strength to speak, Natsu still decided to joke around. Making fun of his partner he always looked up to. Seeing even her making a mistake and getting distracted in the midst of battle was a bit amusing to him, considering how much he idealized her. He still did but it once again proved that the perfect Titania was just as human as everybody else. He knew that of course, but not making fun of it when the situation emerged was not in his character. He wanted to best her one day after all.

"Don't worry, I will get out of here. We have a lot to do together, you hear me"

The enemy mages were shocked by the situation for but a moment later they tried to attack once again. Not a single one made it through though. Before anyone could even get the time to attack a giant magical circle appeared below Erza, summoning an enormous amount of swords, axes, lances and various other weapons, heading towards the mages with immense speed.

Severed heads and limbs dropped together with their bodies. Fountains of blood streamed out of the bodies of those mages, painting the floor in a dark shade of red.

Erza didn't even look at any of them. Her eyes were fixated on Natsu who was getting weaker with every second. He was barely moving at all. Erza pulled out a special bandage from her pocket dimension and pressed it on Natsu's chest, on the massive hole that is.

"Here! Make sure to press on it as hard as you can!"

"A-Aye.."

'Damn it! Hopefully his heart isn't severely injured. I have to get him out of here ASAP!'

Erza quickly picked up Natsu body and started running, running as fast as she could. Her entire body was in pain but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered right now. She had to push through. Find a place to get medical attention. Where is Wendy? Is she alive? She has to be.

As she was running there were still some soldiers that tried to attack but were immediately cut down by blades and other weapons. Piercing and slicing everyone that! tried to block their way.

The enemies didn't stop though. There was no end to them.

"OUT OF MY WAAAAAY!"

The ear-piercing screams of a desperate Titania. Mobilizing every weapon she had stored in her dimension. Everything! Just shot them at everyone in sight. She didn't stop- She continued running. Nonstop.

"There are members of Fairy Tail! Get them"

"I SAID… GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Completely losing the regard of human life, Erza slaughtered everyone in the blink of an eye. Her only mission was to bring Natsu to safety. Nothing else mattered. Her heart was beating was beating nonstop in pain and fear of losing the person most important to her. A heart that was no longer solely hers to begin with. Half of it belonged to the man that she was carrying in her arms. It had to beat for the two of them now.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

The Scarlet Knight was running. Running and killing everyone in her way. No one stood a chance.

She rand for minutes without end but there was no ally or no safe place in sight. Just a battlefield with magical artillery and bullets flying above them, causing a drum orchestra of war and tragedy.

Pushing her body beyond its limit for way too long already, her legs now abruptly gave in, causing her to painfully fall on the ground and drop Natsu with it.

"Natsu!"

She forced herself back up, ignoring every warning signal her body was trying to give her through bursting pain. As she tried to pick up Natsu once again, she was stopped by Natsu grabbing her hand.

"Natsu, let go! I have to-"

"It's alright already"

Not understanding a word he said with all the panic and fear clouding her mind, she was not able to respond. Erza breathed heavily instead and hopelessly looked around to find someone that might be able to help. No matter who. ANYONE!

"It's alright"

She snapped back to reality as Natsu put her hand on her cheek, trying to sweep the tears away that were so massively streaming out of her eyes.

"I have to get you to a medic. You will be fine, you hear me?!"

She shouted with a shaking voice. Completely denying any other outcome to this scenario. Not even thinking about anything else that might happen. It didn't matter what happened to her. Even if her body was to break in the process of saving him, then so be it! It was a small price to pay for his wellbeing. Anything! She would do anything to avoid the unavoidable!

"You know I really hate it when you cry"

"?!"

These unexpected words of sincerity made Erza's body jump up a little. Her heart definitely skipped a beat right there. Natsu however seemed to be at peace. His smile was sincere and genuine. His words reflecting exactly what he thought right now but Erza wasn't ready for them. She didn't want this!

"The Erza I know is beautiful when she smiles. Even when she is strict and scary, she still looks beautiful. The red hair that reminds me of the scales of a fire dragon… Oh, how it dances in the wind whenever you are fighting an enemy fool."

"Stop it…"

"Always the strongest among almost everyone. There was no enemy you couldn't defeat… I too wanted to become like that."

"Please… Stop"

"I felt lonely, so I wanted to be the strongest so I could protect you all… so that no one would have to leave me again. I hated that… but you, you were always there… when I needed you… you were… there"

"Natsu, I am begging you, please stop. Tell me everything about it when you are back on your feet again"

Erza who was just kneeling next to Natsu couldn't stop those tears from flowing. End endless rivers of tears streamed down her cheeks. Eyes red of crying but she could not stop. She didn't want this. They still had so much to experience together.

"I'm sorry Erza… promise me… promise me that you will live on. Like always… Live for your friends.."

Every word broke her heart anew. It couldn't handle the angst, the sadness… the despair.

"No! How can you ask that of me?! Keep your own promises first! You promised me that you would become a man that will always be by my side! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD ME WE WOULD BE TOGETHER FOREVER!"

Erza grabbed him by his scarf, hoping she could put some sense into him, not realizing she was the delusional one here right now.

"I will… We will always be together… But you have to stay the Erza I known and loved.. for so many years now…"

"Please… do not leave me… I need you Natsu… please"

She was begging, begging so desperately to have a happy ending to this war story. So their heart could beat in unison again. Like she always wanted them to. Share a long life together with joy and sadness alike. This dream can not end here like this!

But it will.

"Stay strong Erza… bring an end to this… pointless…"

Coughing up blood, so weak to finish his sentences. He felt no strength in his body anymore. His arms and legs were getting limb and his eyelids felt heavier than ever.

"I.. love.."

He wanted to say it. One final time. To fully give her everything he could offer. The one thing that could only be shared with a special someone. But he couldn't finish it.

"I am begging you. Stay with me, Natsu!"

Tears of a fallen knight dropping down on Natsu's face like rain. Dropping so heavy with guilt, sadness, and anguish. She held his hand but he had no longer the power to hold her's back. The sounds of war and battle seemed to fall silent so that the only thing that could be heard were the cries of a fairy. A fairy who had lost what she held dearest in the entire world.

"You are everything I have… Natsu, PLEASE!"

His eyes slowly losing any real color followed by the complete loss of control of his body. Only vaguely hearing the words of his beloved as the last remaining pieces of life left his body. Leaving behind a broken maiden on this pointless battlefield.

Yet another heart has stopped beating in this war.


End file.
